SOUTH BAY / The High Cost of El Nino

Marshall Wilson, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published
4:00 am PST, Monday, March 16, 1998

1998-03-16 04:00:00 PDT SAN MATEO CO -- Recent heavy rains have caused an estimated $95 million in damage in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, making the El Nino storms the Peninsula's costliest natural disaster on record, officials say. Damage to public and private lands in San Mateo County alone amounted to $75 million, exceeding the destruction caused by any previous natural disaster, including the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, according to a report for the county Board of Supervisors last week. About 1,300 county residents have applied for financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Damage in Santa Clara County totaled about $20 million. More than 700 county residents have applied for aid so far.

The counties have the dubious distinction of having the most damage to public property in the Bay Area, according to preliminary estimates by the state Office of Emergency Services.

By comparison, heavy rains in 1982-83 caused about $30 million in damage to public and private property in San Mateo County. The Loma Prieta earthquake caused about $20 million in damage.

Of the $75 million in damage to San Mateo County this winter, about $15 million has been to public property maintained by the county. Most of that damage was to roads in the coastal hills.

A total of $24 million in damage was reported to public property by the county's 20 cities. The most occurred in Portola Valley, which reported $11 million in damage.

"We had a lot of dirt movement in our town," said Alex McIntyre, the town administrator.

Tons of dirt slopped down onto Alpine Road, and a section remains closed. It may cost up to $10 million to repair the slide area, McIntyre said.

Santa Clara County officials did not have a breakdown on their $20 million figure.

But Fred Herman, Palo Alto's chief building official, said about $5 million in damage had been reported so far to homes in Palo Alto alone. Up to 400 homes were damaged when water gushed over the banks of the San Francisquito Creek.

About $1 million in damage occurred to public property in Palo Alto. The tally includes about $153,000 worth of damage caused when the basement flooded at the main library on Newell Road, Herman said.

Landslides destroyed one home in San Bruno and seven in unincorporated areas of San Mateo County, mainly in the mountain hamlets of La Honda and Loma Mar.

Through Friday, a total of 103 homes in the county were reported damaged by storms. Pacifica had 35 damaged homes. Eleven homes were damaged in both Daly City and San Bruno, five in Woodside, four in Portola Valley, three in Belmont, two in Brisbane, one in Burlingame and 31 in unincorporated areas.

Although the damage totals could rise as more storms are expected, reported losses in East Palo Alto have fallen substantially. City officials first reported several million dollars in damage to public property, an estimate that's now fallen to $250,000.

Mary McMillan, a spokeswoman for San Mateo County, said mud that tumbled onto roads, potholes and fallen trees accounted for much of the damage to public property. Local agencies plan to apply to the FEMA for reimbursement, although the process is "slow and cumbersome," she said.

Although it may be slow, it does come, officials said.

"We just settled last year over losses from Loma Prieta," Herman said, referring to the 1989 earthquake.

"Every piece of paperwork you have, the FEMA people want to see it (and) audit it, which is fair," he said. "Otherwise, you can turn in forms for $25 million and say thank you very much."

Residents and business owners can apply for disaster aid by calling (800) 462-9029.